Medicare 2011: Changes to Come

The United States government sponsors many health insurance programs such as Medicaid and the Healthy Indiana Plan, but it's most popular program, Medicare, is up for some big changes in the coming months.

According to the article "Medicare Changes Set for 2011" by The Times-Standard outlines 4 of the major changes to come. They include:

1. New yearly open enrollment for Medicare Advantage
2. Updates for the Medicare Prescription Drug programs
3. Less being paid into the "donut hole"
4. Annual wellness visits

These are just a handful of the upcoming changes for 2011 according to The National Council on Aging. Beneficiaries are encouraged to review their Medicare packages to ensure they understand all changes being made that will affect them. Many will need Medicare supplement plans to have full coverage and you want to make sure you can continue to see the same doctor. The changes are intended to improve the program overall, but as the shift takes place some may be left confused so getting educated is very important.

Healthy Indiana Plan

The Healthy Indiana Plan available to Indiana residents seeking affordable health insurance continues to be an outstanding program for Indiana families. During these tumultuous times in our economy and health care system, it's encouraging to know that plans such as these are available for Americans.

The plan primarily serves the very poor and low income population, and is a great option for families with children who do not have insurance through their employer nor can they afford standard individual health insurance plans. Those types of plans are getting more and more expensive and with mandates going into place soon with the new health care reform bill, many Indiana residents are scrambling to get proper coverage. That's why this type of plan is invaluable.

Other states such as Washington, have similar programs to help their residents. Washington Basic offers a variety of benefits to qualifying residents. Plans across the nation are quickly coming together to support struggling Americans. Unfortunately, with unemployment so high and employers dropping plans quickly, government is having a hard time keeping up with all the need out there currently.

Healthy Indiana Plan Affected By Health Care Reform

Many health insurance providers and special state programs will be affected by health care reform in some way. This includes two well known plans, Healthy Indiana Plan and Washington Basic. This does not need to be a cause for concern though. Health care reform is designed to help as many Americans as possible have affordable health insurance.

There are some important timelines that Americans should be aware of in regards to when health care reform will take place. Within one year the new bill will be offering a $250 rebate for Medicare prescription drug plans for those whose benefits have run out. 90 days after the bill goes into effect there will be immediate access to high risk pools for those previously declined for pre-existing conditions. After 6 months of enactment, insurance companies will not be allowed deny coverage for those who get sick and they cannot deny children with any pre-existing conditions. This is a huge change that many will benefit from.

By the year 2014 most employers will have to offer health insurance to their employees. People who do not carry health insurance will face certain penalties. And by 2018, a 40% tax will be placed on high end health insurance policies. It won't be until 2019 that health insurance is extended to the promised 32 million people.

Health Insurance Rates Increasing for Many

As if health insurance rates weren't high enough, they are rising significantly in over four states according to the article "Individual Insurance Rates Soar in 4 States" by the Associated Press on msnbc.com.

In California, some policy holders will see an increase of 39% by March 1. In Maine some will see hikes up to 23%. And in Oregon some will see rates go up 15% after a 25% increase put in place last year. This is going to be devastating for many families. Individual health insurance is usually much more volatile than insured received through employers. It's also harder to find health insurance individually if one has a pre-existing condition.

There are many states trying to help those struggling with expensive health insurance. Plans like the Healthy Indiana Plan reach out to eligible families to offer quality health insurance at affordable prices. Hopefully the states experiencing high rate increases will offer similar programs to struggling family.

Healthy Indiana Plan and Medicare Still Available as Economy Slows

The article "Slow Economy Drives More Patients to Clinics" by Emily Monacelli on etruth.com says that more patients are avoiding their doctor and visiting community health centers instead. This is a direct result of the slowing economy and more uninsured Indiana residents.

Heart City Health Center in Elkart saw over 10,000 patients in 2009 which was up 45% from 2008 according to CEO Vernita Todd. Unfortunately, more patients does not translate to more revenue. Approximately 65% of the clinic's adult uninsured visitors receive a 90% discount based on their income level.

Many of these patients are unaware of the affordable options available to them and their families such as Medicare, Medicaid and the Healthy Indiana Plan. Many of these people are the working poor and they want to be covered, especially to protect their children but the money just isn't there. Having available health clinics is a blessing to communities, especially in tough times when unemployment is up and uninsured residents are on the rise.

Healthy Indiana Plan Offering POWER Account

Health Indiana Plan offers many benefits, one of which is called a POWER account. This is an account valued at $1,100 per adult to pay for medical expenses. The State of Indiana makes contributions to the account and each participant, based on a sliding scale, receives the benefit. No one will pay more than 5% of their gross annual family income, and many will pay less.

This plan also offers a basic commercial benefits option once the yearly medical expenses go over the $1,100. Coverage for preventative services is available for up to $500/year at no additional cost for members. Once the $500 limit is reached, preventative care is covered, but the POWER account would be used when necessary.

As with most types of plans, co-pays are required for all emergency care, but that would be the only service that has a co-pay. And even in the case of an emergency the co-pay would be returned if it is determined the service was a true emergency. The Healthy Indiana Plan does not currently cover dental, vision, or maternity care.

Healthy Indiana Plan Useful Information

Affordable health insurance in this day and age can be extremely challenging for some, especially if your employer does not offer a plan and you are in the poor population. If you live in Indiana though there is a great opportunity for you. It's called the Healthy Indiana Plan and it's available to lower income Indiana residents.

The state approved this plan back in January of 2008 by the Federal government through a waiver to reallocate Medicaid funds. To qualify for the plan, individuals must have been uninsured for more than 6 months, be ineligible for Medicare or Medicaid and be between the ages of 19-64. You must also be a US Citizen.

The plan has excellent coverage and will meet most applicants' needs. Some benefits include prescription coverage, physician services, hospital visits, home health care, hospice, family planning, disease management, mental health services and substance abuse help. Currently, dental, vision, and maternity care is not offered. Based on your income, there may be a monthly premium, but it ends up being only about 2-5% of one's income. See if the Healthy Indiana Plan is right for you.

Healthy Indiana Plan Reopens to Adults Without Children

According to the article "Healthy Indiana Plan to reopen to childless adults" by Ken Kusmer on usatoday.com, Indiana desires to enroll more childless adults in its state funded medical savings account. They will be reopening enrollment for them in the future.

When the Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP) was approved by the federal government, they originally put a limit of 34,000 childless adults for enrollment according to consultant Seema Verma. HIP has shown that it is very popular with this group of individuals and the Family and Social Services Administration closed the program to this group back in March.

Thousands more childless adults are currently on the waiting list to be enrolled in the program. FSSA has yet to decide exactly when they will be opening up more enrollment to these people, but it's coming according to a state consultant. HIP offers up to $500 a year in free preventative health care and a medical savings account worth $1100 per year. When costs go over this amount they have benefits of $300,000 a year.

Healthy Indiana Plan Nearing Capacity for Childless Adults

One year after the state launched a state-subsidized health care program for the uninsured, many people are in danger of losing access to Indiana health insurance due to an enrollment cap. 

Shari Rudaskvy from the Indianapolis Star says that the Healthy Indiana plan is close to reaching the cap of 34,000 on adults without children that are allowed to enroll. Currently, about half all 42,000 enrollees fall in that category.

Higher unemployment rates will probably lead to even more people applying for the plan, causing it to reach capacity even sooner. Those adults who have access to health insurance from their job (even if it's prohibitively expensive) or who need access to vision or dental care (HIP doesn't cover either) might find that it makes more sense to get health insurance quotes for another plan that could help them. The same goes for people who are underinsured.